Russian State Symphony Orchestra

Valentin Uryupin and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra treat us to a white night of classics from their homeland. From its famous opening waltz, Moscow-based Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite attractively reflects its composer’s Armenian roots. The consummate artist that is Chloë Hanslip is then soloist in Shostakovich’s first violin concerto. Its remarkably wide range of expression and its sheer wealth of colour make it one of the greatest violin concertos of the twentieth century.

“The whole company could almost have torn me to pieces in their delight”, wrote Tchaikovsky after airing his second symphony at a St Petersburg soirée. Nicknamed ‘Little Russian’, each of its four movements quote Ukrainian folk songs, including the famous ‘Volga Boat Song’.